Climate Concept of the Union: "Afforestation of the CDU"

The CDU has adopted a climate concept. The decision in the party executive committee had fallen unanimously, communicated party leader Annegret Kramp Karrenbauer on Twitter. The concept provides comprehensive incentives for citizens and businesses to behave in a climate-friendly way. The central element of the decision is the pricing of CO2 emissions in the areas of transport and building heating via an emissions trading scheme with certificates.

With the new climate protection concept, the CDU wants to draw conclusions from the deficits that Kramp-Karrenbauer had attested to her party in this area. "The message can not continue like this," said Andreas Jung, Deputy Group Chairman, in the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus. "This is the reforestation of the CDU. We are politically flanking." On Friday, the Climate Cabinet of the Federal Government meets and wants to adopt concrete measures.

"Abandonment is not the answer"

Initially, the CDU wants to initiate support for the conversion in the building sector and support for switching to emission-free vehicles. Above all, they were the subject of innovation. Not abandonment is the answer, they want to move forward together globally. This includes the CO2 pricing.

"Who saves CO2, drives better," said Jung. If you emit a lot of CO2, you should pay more. It was planned to lower the price so that the CO2 price would be effective, as well as to set an upper limit so that prices would not go "through the roof". In return, citizens should be relieved of CO2 price reductions by lowering their electricity prices.

In addition, they wanted to work on the following topics:

• The motor vehicle tax should be geared to CO2;
• the VAT should be reduced for rail travel;
• Flights should be more expensive, the ticket price should be doubled;
• there should be an extension of the toll

The CDU concept basically envisages taxing the emission of the climate gas CO2 in traffic and heating in the future. A tax on CO2, as required by the coalition partner SPD, rejects the CDU. "With certificates trading, we cap the market for CO2 emissions," said Jung. Germany could start with such a trading system initially at the national level, desirable would then be a pan-European expansion.

The issue of carbon pricing is currently playing a key role in the Grand Coalition deliberations on the climate change package to be finalized on Friday. Following the expected decision on Friday, the coalition should also seek approval from the FDP and the Greens, as well as from state and local governments, said Secretary General Paul Ziemiak. Necessary is an "overall social understanding" in climate policy.

For the cost of their proposals, the CDU initially wanted to give any information. "We can not give you an exact number today," said Jung. "That depends on the design of the programs." With the decision the CDU wanted to make clear first of all, "where our priorities lie".